Atomic Systems

I have been browsing the forums and noticed that many people have been bringing up small problems, others have been suggesting solutions, I was thinking we could put a few of our hints and tips into one forum to help people.

I have been using Train Sim (TS) from the begginging, have got used to the tools a bit, but know how hard it was to get started with learning, if we can help some of the begginer's on route building we might get lot's of new routes. !

Alan Heath

I dont think people know how much the help program with MSTS is. Ive seen many people asking how to do things on here where many of these problems are explained in the help. A question like 'how do I create a new route' is easily answered in the help and tips on how to actually build the route.
I got used to the RE quite quickly. At first I wondered what all these tools and buttons did and thought Id never learn how to use them all but I did after time and learning.
You simply get used to it similar to the AE.

When placing tunnels use 2 * 10Mstrt before to allow easy tunnel mouth editing.

Step 1 place track, including tunnel.

Step 2 Raise terrain, including around non-tunnel track. (F9 tool)

Step 3 select track, not 10Mstrt next to tun but the one before, set the embankment and cutting no.s to 45, track width to 18, now check track selection, if correct press Y, the terrain should lower to the track.

Step 4 Use terrain edit tool (F9) just click once on terrain, any selection should vanish (red lines), press W to go to Wireframe mode, move cursor over tunnel enterance, press V, this should make a hole in the terrain, you should be abled to make this hole just big enough to uncover the tunnel enterance.

Step 5 Place a tunnel portal, align it with tunnel enterance.

Step 6 Rotate to line up with tunnel, F4 tool, if you use H to bring it level with the terrain and N to normalise the terrain rotation (flatten to ground),then move into position using F3 tool, press CTRL to keep the portal at same height.

You should have done one tunnel and placed a portal, without using terrain patches.

It does look a lot but it is quite easy once you get the hang of it.
Do try this on a test route a few times.

Alan Heath

I use small pieces of track road when creating tunnels or overbridges. This was I can choose when piece to press Y underneath. Alligning small pieces either side of a bridge allows you to press Y so the terrain just slopes up from the track. This means no tidying up lowering terrain off the track bit by bit. Same with tunnels. I press Y underneath a small piece of track situated just outside the tunnel so it lowers the terrain perfectly. Pressing V can be tricky but at the moment Ive managed to hide the gap just right.


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: JohnEyres on 2002-05-19 08:07 ]</font>

John, in the help files it does explain a lot of things but what I mean is, how to build a route - route items not covered in help, eg my above post on tunnels.

And the sequence we have developed for route building.

eg. build track, roads, scenery, signals, ect.

Just to help everyone.

Alan

I see what you mean. It can be easy to use the search to find words like 'tunnel' so topics on making them may come up.

This is another reason i made the "test track", it includes common track sections and a double track 5 d juction, plus a tunnel made in exactly the way you have described, in thinking that the test track pictures speak 1000 words etc...

The tunnel on there has no trees etc so you can see track placement and transfer placement, sort of a "how its done" route.

All you need to do is go to it in route editor, allows you to play without messing up your own routes.

If you like I will do a route building tutorial and if Matt is agreeable add it to the site?

It will be step-by-step from start to finish. I know some people don't know where to start with routes, but it's quite straight forward really, just a lot of work.



Tips:

-Use 'H' to lower object to ground
-Use 'N' to straighten object relative to ground.
-Use numeric arrow keys to move objects where possible. For example lower your bridge on a flat and rotate using the left/right arrow keys. Stops you having the object at an odd angle by mistake.
-Play with the angles in terrain dialog box. 45 degrees is rarely realistic for anything but embankments.
-Press the 'end' key simultaneously with mouse/arrow keys to allow finer movement of objects, such as track.
-Apply real gradients where possible. Here is a conversion table:

MSTS Angle Gradient
0.050 1 in 1160
0.100 1 in 570
0.150 1 in 380
0.200 1 in 287
0.300 1 in 190
0.450 1 in 127
0.600 1 in 96
0.750 1 in 76
0.900 1 in 64
1.200 1 in 48
1.500 1 in 38
1.800 1 in 32
2.100 1 in 27
2.400 1 in 24
2.700 1 in 21
3.000 1 in 19
_________________
Builder of GNEReastcoast
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<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: goingnorth on 2002-05-19 14:25 ]</font>

I would be very interested if you were to do one! Thanks

-Alan

I'm always agreeable to tutorials being added to the site, just write it and mail me a copy.

I've got one from Graham Pitt still to get online for TSTools actually now I think about it, oops!

Matt.

Also, I plan on adding a kind of auto-FAQ type service to the site.

It would act as a kind of structured forum where discussion is done here and then conclusions are logged in the new system, so a question is raised and then answers are logged against it.

That way all the superb information that is distributed via these forums can be kept in a much more easy to navigate manner - and people asking the questions have a more easy place to ask them.

As soon as I have got the JT TGV review sorted I'll try and shift my butt in to gear and get that bit done, shouldn't take long.

Matt.

Okay I'm doing the tutorial now. I'll see if I can mail it it the next couple of days.

Cheers

Great news!

Once again GoingNorth delivers the goods. Nice work. What a great community...

For some time now, I've been converting trainsim.com and other message threads to web pages and placing them on my site (with writers' permissions, of course). There are another 15 topics done, waiting for writer's permission to publish, but many seem very busy and haven't responded to emails.

Feel free to borrow what you need.

http://www.railpage.org.au/steam4me/trainsim/tutorials

Regards

Yuri.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: steam4me on 2002-05-19 19:42 ]</font>